Knighty Knight United Kingdom

For a mango girl who lived in her cocoon, traveled by namma metro, bought groceries from MK retails, when UK called with wide open arms she didn’t think twice before boarding the packed Flight. After all she always wanted to see the countryside, swans swim in the pool, smell the red roses, gigantic, magnificent old castles (Effect of romantic novels, definitely not the liquor), Her Highness and Her highness’s cute chubby grandson.

It’s my first day in UK and I still cant believe I am living my dream. But I still miss my country, namma Bangalore, rice and dal. Wearing my brothers over size thermal wear and woolen socks I contemplate how these Britt’s can bear such heart chilling cold. All I can think is hot water, hot milk, hot chocolate, hot meal but defiantly not the panty soaking Bangalore’s hot summer.

When I waved my good friend Miss S. Hegdae at KIA , with packed bags, heavy heart, tons of advice(Thank you Vibha, Siva,Sri, Ananth,S Hegdae, Loly, Nisha, my brother, Mr G, Psycho(my sis))and misty eyes I was bit scared. Travelling on my own to a country never seen before, people never known before is something I never did before.

“Use your common sense, everybody has it but no one uses It.” when my cousin said I laughed my lungs out wondering whether he thinks I am dumb or too smart to travel on my own

“I am just saying I know your smart but use your common sense” he stressed. Three years younger to me, it was always me who advised him and just like that he changed the role.

“Love you SnL” when my spoiled brats (niece and nephew) screamed on the phone I couldn’t control the newly found stream. I will miss nieces 5th bday, nephews first day at school, lot more photo session, nothing comes with a price.

Nothing much happened at the Indira Gandhi International airport except for lots of running, like a Maze runner to catch the connected flight. Second time in my life I ran in international airport like a crazy nut to catch my flight.

Anything for London I said following the boarding queue. I prayed to my stars to be lucky, to have gorgeous company of handsome Irish or Scottish dudes for the long journey of 9 hours (greedy we all are, but for the moment I crossed my boundary). When I saw my seat mates, a lady complaining loudly in Hindi seated at the window seat, a guy around 24 to 25 seated next to her, a light orange color towel pressed to his nose, minding his own business and his cold while I grumbled dropping on my aisle seat.

“So where do you study?” when the guy asked me I couldn’t help myself but smile. Darn, it feels so good to be young for a minute.(Thank god I don’t have to forge my marks card to show I am young when I get married)

“I work” I said while the lady continued over the phone “We are sitting separately, hanji, I am here and he is there. It’s so unfair…”

“Are you having a gala time” I asked the guy looking at the lady. He forgot to see the mockery in my voice. (I was trying to be cool like a typical Hindi hero). What’s with Northy ladies and their complaints I wondered.

“Are you alone or this young lady is with you” a man in his late 60’s asked the guy sitting next to me.

“You go back to your seat, I don’t want you to sit with me” the lady dictating her order loudly and shook her head, her bob cut hair followed her head while we both, the guy and me, sat quietly waiting the bomb to explode while the man smiled sweetly and said “I want to sit next to my wife, it’s our anniversary, I wanted to send you to business class” the man said looking at the boy. The lady said “No darling, I don’t want you to sit here, go back to your seat, It’s long journey”.

Its such a cute, lovable thing to do, he was ready to sacrifice his business class seat for his wife while his wife wanted him to sit in business class because he has knee problem. I felt ashamed of myself for being judgmental.

“Happy wedding anniversary mam, and Sir” we both, wished them.

“How many years of togetherness you are celebrating” I asked the lady.

“It’s our 39th anniversary” she said proudly. I envied them seeing their love for each other, their care and their sacrifice. In this generation where husband wife find reasons to run away from each other here was old couple still madly in love with each other, were looking for reasons to be together. There are no boundaries for true love, it exist rare it might be.

With misty eyes I couldn’t sit in my place and do nothing watching the old couple desperately want to be together. I walked like a fearless soldier and requested an air hostess, apparently a male. When I explained the whole scenario all he said was “sorry mam, we cant do anything”(If I was some celebrity defiantly you would have done something, you suck). I walked back to my seat defeated, what else a Mangalorean mango girl can do?.

Back to my seat I fasten the seat belt. “This is best part” I told the guy when the plane left the Indian ground with a promise to be back soon. He looked at me and smiled and I smiled back(trust me that’s it, nothing more)

When he got to know for the first time I am travelling he shared all his knowledge and special warning not to leave my bag anywhere.

“Mam, you’re requested to come to business class, I have spoken to the captain” A guy dressed in light aqua color polo shirt told the lady.

“Omg, what you guys are upto” she said escorted by the guy.

Thank god there were people who couldn’t see the old couple’s suffering.

When she was back there was million dollar smile on her face and piece of cake in her hand.

“This is for you both my young friends she said” handing the cake to the guy seated next to me. She was such a lovely ,jovial lady who was still in love with her husband

“I didn’t get your name” I asked the guy after all he was very sweet to me

“Rajath” he said and asked for mine

“Sylvia” I said showing my teeth

I never met anyone especially guy who can be sweet and helping to a stranger.

I sat there closing my eyes, taking deep breathes when the captain announced the plane will land in 20 minutes. My new journey in new country was waiting for me and I was calming my anxious nerves

“Are you scared” Rajath asked me

“No actually, just bracing myself for the new journey “ I said. Even though I didn’t ask him he offered me his phone and said “call your home”. If he was not a guy I would have hugged him for being so sweet and helpful to me. So far I have met flirty, silent, talkative guys and here was a guy being so sweet to me even though I didn’t know him.

London welcomed with wide open arms, lots of promises and tons of experience. I may be on my own but its nice, I might be scared but that’s ok, I might have to struggle but that’s manageable. I am finally in a country I always wanted to be, that too on my own:)